Easy Gluten Free, Lactose Free Pecan Tassies

When it comes to family recipes, this gluten free pecan tassie recipe is one of our all time favorites! My mom has been making these pecan tassies for Christmas ever since I can remember and I have never met a person who doesn't love them. When I set out to recipe test family favorites, I knew I was going to make sure these worked as gluten free lactose free pecan tassies because they're so delicious I didn't want you guys to miss out, and frankly I didn't want to miss out either! When it comes to baking, I always make sure that all of my treats come out as refined sugar free dessert. I love indulging during the holidays but also want to make sure I'm still treating my gut right, and skipping refined sugars always makes me feel just a bit better about dessert.

My Grammy first introduced us to pecan tassies and she certainly made them full of gluten, lactose, and refined sugars. I have been remaking loads of her Christmas cookie recipes this year, putting a gluten free and lactose free spin on them and also ensuring they're refined sugar free desserts, so taste memory played a crucial role in the testing process for me. As long as the taste and texture was spot on, I was okay with deviating away from the original recipe. The good news is (read: the easy part) was that I was able to simply sub in gluten free flour for all purpose flour, lactose free dairy for "regular" dairy, and refined sugar free coconut sugar for traditional brown sugar and this gluten free pecan tassie recipe worked out beautifully on the first try!

Here is what you need to make these gluten free lactose free pecan tassies:

- Gluten Free 1:1 Flour: There are a few brands of gluten free 1:1 flour that I really love to work with. My all time favorite for making dough is Cup4Cup Gluten Free Flour but Bob's Red Mill 1:1 Gluten Free flour is a very, very close runner up. Either one will work beautifully in this recipe and you would never know these were gluten free pecan tassies!

- Coconut Sugar: My favorite refined sugar free replacement for dark brown sugar. I have yet to find an instance where coconut sugar doesn't work as a substitute. It's a staple in my pantry.

- Pecans or Walnuts: Truthfully, my Grammy and my Mom both make these pecan tassies using walnuts. I'm really not sure why, but I used pecans in mine. I like them better than walnuts (and also feel like I may be developing a walnut allergy so I try to steer clear!) If you cannot find chopped nuts or pieces, simply add nuts in between pieces of parchment and crush using a rolling pin. Measure the nuts after the are crushed to ensure you have enough in your gluten free pecan tassie filling.

- Lactose Free Dairy: While this recipe does work with regular dairy, I wanted to omit the lactose in mine to make them slightly gentler on digestion. You could also use your favorite vegan butter or vegan sour cream. Some of my favorite brands for lactose free dairy are: Lactaid and Green Valley Creamery for sour cream, Kite Hill if you're looking for a vegan option. I love Miyokos Creamery vegan butter and Green Valley Creamery Lactose Free butter and use them in the majority of my recipes.

- Eggs: If you have an egg allergy or are vegan, you can sub in two flax "eggs" in place of the egg in this recipe. To make a flax egg, simple mix 1 tablespoon of flaxseed meal with 3 tablespoons of water. This mixture should sit for 15 minutes in order to thicken. It will be equivalent to 1 egg.

- Vanilla Extract: What salt does for cooking, vanilla extract does for baking. It is essentially a flavor enhancer and should not be left out. That being said, if you find yourself without (this has happened to me more times than I would like to admit!) maple syrup works as a substitute for vanilla extract.

- Mini Muffin Tins: These mini muffins tins are essential in making gluten free pecan tassies! If you only have regular muffin tins and want to make these gluten free pecan tassies in a pinch, you could use them but your cooking time will increase. I have not tested this, so I cannot give you an adjusted baking time, but your indicator for "doneness" will always be a golden brown crust on the pecan tassies.

- Shot Glass: My Grammy always used a shot glass to shape her pecan tassie dough in the mini muffin tin. Simple place the dough into the tin as you would with pie crust and use a shot glass to press gently down. I always use my hands, but this is a nice shortcut if you have one available!